Press conference gold...

Journalist: "Were you tentative in the first over?"

Brendon McCullum: "I ran down second ball, didn't I? Hadds asked me if I was still going to have a crack, I said 'too right I am'. I did try to block the one that got me out."

Brendon McCullum is still talking to the assembled media: "I don't think we're the finished product just yet, but we're heading in the right direction. We have a group prepared to buy into team plans and play an aggressive brand of cricket. We are starting to get there. It's hard when you've lost a final, but we're richer for the experience. We need to keep getting better, but we're going the right way about it.

"Starc was a bit too good for me today. He deserves the man of the tournament."

Sunday Times cricket correspondent Simon Wilde:, external One of the oddest features to this World Cup is the steep drop in run-outs. Only 39 in all, compared to 60-something in last two World Cups... maybe no-one is bothering to run any more, just whack boundaries. New Zealand good fielding team but they didn't run out anyone.

Mike Johnson: We might have to introduce a Handicap system: "And England won the toss! They will bat first with 200 on the board"...

Michael Vaughan
Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special

What can England learn from Australia?

"They've got the structure right here in Australia. There's enough English players out there who play an exciting brand of cricket, but my worry is the pace of the bowlers. Even Bangladesh had two seamers bowling quicker than the England seamers. There's not a lot of mystery spin in England - but there's not a lot of mystery spin anywhere in the world as they're all in Cardiff having their actions tested!

"The pace element needs to arrive - the next World Cup is in England in 2019, and they've got four years to bring players into that side. Even take a backward step if you can bring some players in and get them used to it."

More from Brendon McCullum: "It's just cricket. You can't have any regrets. You got out and play it as well as you can but if the other team is better, you cop it sweet.

"We've lost two finals to them [also the 2009 Champions Trophy], but we're a lot different to back then. I don't put a great deal on losing finals, it's just a good thing that we're making them."

Here's more from New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum: "I thought it was a good toss to win. The pitch played OK, which you saw through Ross and Grant. They were able to swing the ball. If we bowled, they might have got 400. We thought runs on the board was the way to go and had we got 260, we might have had a different conversation now."

Stephan Shemilt
BBC Sport in Melbourne

"This press conference is so packed, journalists are identifying themselves by shouting fielding positions. 'Brendon, over here, wide mid-off'. 'Come catching' is a reply typical of McCullum."

Jonathan Agnew
BBC Test Match Special

"It was only three months or so ago that Michael Clarke was at an absolute emotional low after the tragic death of Phillip Hughes - he'd have liked to have hit the winning runs today, but it did give him the chance to walk off to an ovation."

New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum at the post-match news conference: "Clarke has been an outstanding cricketer for Australia, he deserves to bow out a WC winner. Congratulations to him.

"There may be guys who in our group who will retire. We'll let the dust settle, because this is about Australia. It's the right thing to allow them to bask in their glory.

"They were too good on the day. They put us under early pressure, we re-gathered, then they came again. They stepped up in the key moments. It was a convincing win. But maybe if we played them again tomorrow it would be a different story."

Jim Maxwell
BBC Test Match Special

"This Australia team is up there with the other teams which have won World Cups - they're brilliant in the field, versatile, and have timed this run to victory like great racehorse trainers have trained their steeds to win Melbourne Cups.

"Steve Smith said earlier in the tournament that the aim was to be playing their best cricket in the last week, and that's what they've done. We've got two Mitch gunslingers in this team, it won't be Clarke leading the team any more but it's a mighty fine team."

Ryan Knight: Biggest let down of the World Cup was Dale Steyn...

Let's look at the stats that matter....

Most runs in the tournament: M Guptill (NZ) 547, K Sangakkara (SL) 541, AB de Villiers (SA) 482.

Highest scores: M Guptill 237 (NZ v WI), C Gayle 215 (WI v Zim), D Warner 178 (Aus v Afg).

Most wickets: M Starc (Aus) 22, T Boult (NZ) 22, Yadav (Ind) 18.

Best bowling: T Southee 7-33 (NZ v Eng), M Starc 6-28 (Aus v NZ), T Boult 5-27 (NZ v Aus)

Martin from Stoke: So World Cup over and I think it's been a poor one. Excitement isn't necessarily generated by big six hitting and double hundreds but by close matches and there have been precious few of those. Games involving Associate nations have been the highlight.

Dawn from Kings Lynn: Australia beat two of the best teams (India and New Zealand) on the way to win the World Cup. Thoroughly deserved.

The Australian players are now savouring a beer in the sanctuary of the changing rooms. There's three cool boxes stacked up. It could be a lively night.

I should also point you in the direction of the story we have done with ICC chief executive David Richardson, who has been speaking to Test Match Special.

Talking about the so-called minnow, he said: "We have to make sure we don't put associate members into tournaments just for window dressing. We must ensure Ireland and Afghanistan get more resources and play more full members on a more regular basis."

We're going to try and keep this live rolling while we wait for the post-match news conferences. Stick with us, folks.

Image source, Getty Images

England wicketkeeper Matt Prior:, external Gutted for Brendan McCullum and the Black Caps but hats off to the Aussies. Seriously good team playing seriously good cricket. Also congratulations to @MClarke23 for an outstanding ODI career. Leading his team to a World Cup is one hell of a way to bow out.

West Indies opener Chris Gayle:, external Congrats @MClarke23 & team Australia on winning the #WorldCup2015. #FullJoy #63NotOut #Champions - well done NZ! Great finish pups.

Former England batsman Mark Butcher:, external Congrats Australia. A high quality, high impact group of players, 95% of whom play Test cricket too. #itsallabouttheplayers

Get it framed, lads. Get it above the fireplace. Savour it for all time.

Image source, Getty Images

Ilyas Najib: Been a long 6 weeks, my sleeping pattern is ruined, I have put weight on with late nights & junk food, but it was all worth it.